new drugs prescribed-help!

Submitted by MS DTR on Wed, 2012-02-22 12:19

I have a new pain mngmt. Dr. who actuyally knows about MSi (miracle!) anyway he prescibed skelaxin (metaxalone)PRNi and cymbalta @ HS for muscle spasms and nerve pain respectively. Anyone have any experience with these? New meds. scare the beejeezus out of me.Also for pain oxcycotin 2x QDi and 5mg percoset for breakthru pain PRN. My previous pain Dr. had me on percoset 10-325 upto 8 pills a day. I also take valium 2.5 mg about 4 times a day. The first 2 drugs are the ones I have no experience with and I tend to react badly to most meds. Can anyone tell me what I might expect taking these in combo with the protocol?

I also have missed 2 months of the tinni d/t surgery and hope to start again 3/1. Any and all advice is DEEPLY appreciated :)

Comments

I started taking 60 mg of Cymbalta daily about a year ago which my doctor prescribed for the excrutiating pain that I was experiencing at night. Every night when I got into bed I felt like I was crawling into a coffin because I knew that within a few hours I would be feeling like I was dying because the pain was so bad. The Cymbalta did help. Especially at the beginning. It doesn't work as well now and I know that my body continues to do damage to itself even though I don't feel it as much. It's a bitter sweet thing for sure. I'm looking forward to one day not taking it everyday but I'm not looking foward to the withdrawal. I don't know if this helps you at all MSi DTR but it's my honest opinion of Cymbalta.

I commented and it disappeared! I am sure it has nothing to do with my less than competent technology skills ;-p sorry if this reappears twice! I was prescribed CYMbalta by my pain management dr for my horrendous neural pain (MSi related). Whilst i must admit it did work - and work reasonably quickly - I ended up stopping after 4 months due to side effects (nausea, dizziness etc). I had a horrible time withdrawing from it - worse than coming off the morphine/fentanyl patches I was previously on for a year or so. It took me three tries - severe vomiting, fatigue, terrible electric shocks/jolts through limbs and face (this was the worst) and brain zaps. I still get the zaps/shocks 2 months after ceasing. There are a number of forums out there and it seems to be a particularly tricky drug to come off - and I was only on it for a short period. In saying that, there is obviously the toss up of pain relief vs. Possible side effects and you need o do whatever helps you get through the day. I just thought I would let you know what my experience was like and wish you luck and relief ASAP!

It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in doing so, it brings everything into the realm of possibility (Einstein)

Thank you Kate. I googled the heck out of cymbalta today and decided there's no way I'm swallowing that. I too had to get off the patches a year ago and it sucked and this sounds worse. Right now I'd rather "deal" as I do have some relief from the damn opiates-which I plan to stop once i am further along with this protocal.I'll just tell the Dr. I tried one and had way bad side effects. :)

I am glad I could help and relieved you aren't going to take it. I wouldn't wish CYMbalta withdrawal upon anyone. Mind you, I wouldn't wish constant neural pain on anyone either. It's a tough one. I have decided to just deal with it as best as possible with opiates when needed, which fingers crossed I won't need soon either. Good luck at the drs - throw in a few of the more dramatic side effects for good measure...or just put your foot down and tell him you have enough neural issues without adding more electric shocks/jolts to the party! I hope you get some relief soon from the protocol. Wishing you a pain free (ish) weekend :-)

It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in doing so, it brings everything into the realm of possibility (Einstein)

These freakin opiates-they work but I am officially drug dependent-it sucks. I'm a LSW certified in mental health and chemical dependency. How ironic. It makes me sick to my stomache and anxious just thinking about my use of these drugs and the repercussions I know are coming. I HATE it. I'm starting a fund to help pay for rapid detox once I start down the otherside of this mountain. The percoset I can see being able to wean off of. The oxcycontin??? Makes me want to cry and scream and throw things. It Sucks so bad to be trapped, trapped by the MSi, the opiates, the copaxone, this TX-well maybe not this TX because it's the only chance I have. I HOPE this TX helps me get the pain under controll BEFORE I build a tolerance for both and the doses are up'ed-I'll definately lose it then.

I wish there was another path available to me 3 years ago when it all became unbearable. It feels like a terrorist is holding my body hostage.

Hope you can remain stable enough to never need these on an ongong basis and you have a pain free weekend Kate :)

Erica, I am sorry you have so big problem to stop pain killers. I can't help but I think the MSi drugs can only harm. At the beginning of my MS I was taking a drug for many years. It helped me much but I could take it for two months and then a month break had to follow. I didn't care why it was so but I did it. Once I read the leaflet carefully and I realised the effective compund of the drug was LSD which is the addictive drug and acidheads take it. I stopped taking it immediately though it didn't have the concentration of LSD for acidheads. I started to feel then that I couldn't exist without the drug after several years of taking it so I stopped it immediately and never have taken it since then. I told myself then it may come the time when this drug won't work for me anymore and I will need something stronger.

From what you always write I think the MS drug which should help to manage the MS symptoms mainly help to remain the sensation but the result is while the normal sensation may remain the pain threshold is very high and one can feel the pain more than a healthy one. While one doesn't take the MS drug he looses the sensitivity but also the pain threshold becomes extremely low. I can remember when I was after operation I took no pain killer but I slept as the result of the pain. Anytime when I got strong pain I was extremelly tired and I couldn't help and I had to go to bed and slept till the pain was away.

Now if I were you I would try to use a mental technique to manage the pain. There are a lot of mental techniques just try to find which one you like. Try to manage a technique while you are on drugs and then start to use it and you may see that you prolong the time between taking the drug and then you stop taking it. Try to visit a person who can help you with the technique.

MSi for more than 30 years, WP since July 08, break Jan 09-March 09. NACi 2x600mg, Doxyi 2x100mg, Roxi 2x150mg, Entizol in pulzes, LDNi, supplementsi.Since May 2013 without abxi.

Evita-thanks for this advice. I keep wondering if in fact the opiates r making things worse. I know they help make more pain receptors-vicious circle. Withdrawl scares the crap out of me. When i go back to pain Dr. I need to make sure he understands that i want off these drugs and I expect to get better with this protocol. Wish i could go back to 2009 and change everything.

Erica I don't think opiates make the disease worse but they are addictive and you may need still more and more to be effective. You don't realize your real state as opiates make things easier but the desase is there. I can't understand the attitude that for MSers the best thing is to take dope. I think you should find an expert to help you to get rid taking opiates. But you should keep in your mind that the abxi treatment can't be without pain. The pain is sometimes very severe but fortunately it doesn't last long. You should find other drug that is a pain killer and that isn't addictive. For me ibuprufen works and also Sarah writes it worked for her. I take ibuprufen 1-2 times a month so you can see though the severe pain is there it doesn't last long.

MSi for more than 30 years, WP since July 08, break Jan 09-March 09. NACi 2x600mg, Doxyi 2x100mg, Roxi 2x150mg, Entizol in pulzes, LDNi, supplementsi.Since May 2013 without abxi.

Can't help with pain meds. I really don't know if I have a high threshold or was simply too foggy and miserable to notice. I do remember after surgery I took several Advil a day. I also remember in my previous life half an aspirin would put me to sleep. And I took five mg of Valium once and slept for nearly 24 hours. I have NEVER taken THAT again!

Erica, its not my place to tell you not to take any of these, but personally I wouldn’t take them. Its easy for me to say because I was only inflicted with very bad pain once, during and after my third full pulse, and then nothing I took did any help at all. Lesser pains like period pains, I controlled with ibuprofen.

Muscle spasms are something else and they stop proper sleep. However, Nancy (Arttile) takes or took Prozac and I just looked it up. Knowing that it is sometimes used for peple with MS and found that it has been found to help greatly with spasms: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50825< I think the thing to do is to ask her about it, since as far as I know it was prescribed by her neurologist: I might be completely wrong there..............Sarah

A Journey through Light and Shadow

Completed Stratton/Wheldon regime for aggressive secondary progressive MSi in June 2007, after four years, three of which intermittent. Still improving bit by bit and no relapses since finishing treatment.

I am also very sensitive to most medications and usually can only take half of the normal prescribed dose. I am on Prozac 40 mg daily and can tell you that it has worked well in helping my MSi pain (I am fortunate that pain isn't my most troublesome MS symptoms).

I was prescribed Skelaxin after a back injury a few years ago. I didn't have any adverse reaction to it, but it didn't work as well as the Carisoprodol it was prescribed to replace. I found that over the counter NAIDS worked as well as the Skelaxin for me. I have a friend with MS who takes Celexa and it has helped her MS pain greatly.

Remember to not start both of the new drugs at the same time, in case you do have a reaction, you will need to know which medication is causing the problem. Also, Prozac and Celexa typically take a few weeks to build up in your system. Don't be surprised if you don't see a big change for a few weeks.

Thank you all for answering. I am definately going to try each 1 at a time so I can tell the good from the bad from the ugly. I also appreciate the other meds. mentioned that seem to help people in case these dont work. I HATE adding more meds. but would be unable to physically care for myself without managing the cramps/spasms/pain. My end game is to get over the other side of the mountain with this protocol and then get off all meds. but protocol meds. Can't wait but keep reminding myself I'm only getting ready to start my 10th month in this marathon. Thanks again for responding :)

Jen, Great info on your blog. Have you investigated Methylation Protocol. Methylation is very instrumental in allowing re-mylenation of nerves and many challenged folks are poor methylators and could benefit from neutraceutical support for it. A piece of the puzzle. I have lots of info in the bookmarks forum to look through. Personally Methylation support helped me deal with the overwheming die off from CAPi and has supported me during my two years off all CAP. I do take LDNi since 2/2009 as well.

My current quality of life is so much more than 2007 when I started CAP all these things have been God-sents to me. Louise

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